Split phase motor control



NOV. 18, 194?, L w BUELL SPLIT PHASE MOTOR CONTROL Nm E89 w47. l.. w. BUELL.

SPLIT PHASE MOTOR CONTROL 2 Sheetsf-Sheet 2 Filed oct. 4, 1944 FIG MOTOR RP. M.

Patented Nov. 18, 1947 SPLIT PHASE 'MOTOR CONTROL Lewis W. Buell, Rehoboth,v Mass., assignor to Metals & Controls Corporation, Attleboro, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Y'Application october` 4, 1944, serial No. 557.181

1 This invention relates to split phase motor controls.

Among the objects of this invention are the provision of improved motor controls for automatically cutting out the starting winding of a motor; the provision of a cutout forY electric motors which may be locatedv remote from the motor; the provision of a cutout which has apl proximately similar operating characteristics under varying line voltages; the provision of a cutout which may be easily adjusted for operation at diilerent voltages; and the provision of a cutout which is sturdily constructed and reliable in operation. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exempliiied in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which Will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated several of various pomible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is atop plan of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention with the cover removed;

Fig.- 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan with the connections diagrammatically illustrated;

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the electrical connections of Figs. 1-5 cutout;

Fig. '7 is a graph illustrating the operation of the cutout as applied to a specific motor; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation of an alternative form of the switch arm.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Electric motors are frequently constructed with Aboth main and phase windings. The main and lthe phase windings are connected while the motor is being started, but after the motor comes up to speed the phase or starting winding is cut out and the main or running winding keeps the motor in operation. So-called motor cutouts of various types have been provided for cutting the phase winding o ut of the circuit when the motor comes E. up to speed. These cutouts, particularly when of "whe centrifugal type, are customarily mounted on tine motor or form part of the motor itself.

i or certain purposes, such as for hermetically 3 Claims. (Cl. 172-279) sealed motors, it is ldesirable to locate the cutout at a distance from the motor. This obviates the necessity for hermetically sealing the cutout with the motor and makes it possible conveniently to repair the cutout when needed.

Although eftlcient cutouts are available for incorporation with the motor, cutouts for remote location from the motor have not proved satisfactory. It has been found, for example, that certain non-mechanical types of cutouts which utilize a single electromagnetic coil, when set to operate at a given phase voltage, operate at Widely varying motor speeds, depending upon the line voltage.

kReferring now to the drawings, numeral I desgnates a base on which is mounted, by means of bolt 45, an E-shaped laminated core member 3. This member has outer arms 5 and 1, and a central arm 9. Arms 5 and 1 constitute the cores of voltage coils II and I3, respectively. Arm 9 is elongated beyond arms 5 and 1 and attached thereto by bolts I4 is a support I 5.l Support I5 receives the narrow central portion I1 of an armature bar I9 which pivotally rests on the top of arm 9. A pair offlexble arms 2l and 23 are mounted at one end on support I5. Arms 2I and 23 carry at their opposite ends. contact buttons 25 and 21, respectively. Also mounted on base I are a pair of supporting angles 29 and 3l. These carry at their opposite ends contact buttons 33 and 35, respectively, which in turn cooperate with buttons 25 and 21, respectively.

An adjusting screw 31 is located in one end of the armature bar I9. This adjusting screw, upon change of location, alters the magnetic gap between the end 39 of bar I9 and the core I of coil I3.

Terminals 4I, 43, 41, 49 and 5I are likewise attached to base I. Terminal 49 ii connected to and attaches support 29 to base I. Terminal 5I attaches support 3| to base l. Support 3l is ex-I tended to form a bracket 53 to which is attached electrically a motor protection thermostatic assembly 55. This consists of a base 51 having an upstanding edge'59 Within which is located a snap-acting thermostatic disc BI. Base 51 has mounted thereon 'contact buttons 62 and 54 (see Fig. 6) which are electrically connected to terminals 63 and 65, and a heater 60. Disc 6I i carries cooperating contact buttons (not shown) The construction and operation of such overload motor protective thermostatic controls is known to the art, and will not be further described herein.

Terminal 65 is attached to conducting bracket 91 which in turn is attached to base I by terminal 43.

Electrical connections are made by Wire 69 from coil to terminal 41, by wire 1| from coil I3 to terminal 41, by wire 13 from the other side of coil I3 to a connecting bar 15 between arms 2| and 23, and by Wire 11 from the other side of coil to terminal 4I. V

Bar I9, it will be noted, is suciently wide at the end 39 thereof to overlap arms 2l and 23. The distance between the end of core and bar I9, as located by the support 9, is such that when the end 19 of bar I9 is brought into contact with the end of arm 5, the end 39 of bar I9 forces arms 2| and 23 upward, separating contacts 25 and 33, and 21 and 35, respectively.

Bar I9 is shown constructed of a plurality of laminations of a suitable magnetic material. These laminations are held together by rivets 8|. Ears 83 are attached to cover 85 so that the Vassembly may be mounted as desired, and a cover 85 attached to'base I by bolts- 81, protects the mechanism. Core 5 is provided with a shading coil 88.

The manner in which the device is connected is illustrated in Fig. 6. Terminal 41 is connected not only to coils and I3 but also to the phase winding 89 and main winding 9| of a motor 93. A condenser 95 is preferably connected to the opposite side of phase winding 89. Terminal 4I is connected to the other side of phase winding 89 between the end of the winding and condenser 95, while terminal 49 is connected to condenser 95. Terminal 5I is connected to the other side of main winding 9|. Terminals 41 and 43 are connected to a source of power.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Figs. 1-3 illustrate the condition of the device when the motor is not running. Assuming now that current is applied across terminals 41 and 43, it ows to coils II and I3 and to both phase winding 89 and main'winding 9| of motor 93.

'I'he motor thereupon start-s. When the motor speed reaches a predetermined value, dependent upon the adjustment of adjusting screw 31, the coil II is excited sufciently to overpower the eiTect-of coil I3 and the bias of the armature I9 toward said coil I3. This pulls the end 19 of bar I9 into contact with the end of core 5. The end 39 of bar |9 is thereby brought into contact with arms` 2| and 23 and moves them to the Fig. 4 position. This separates contact buttons 25 and 21, and 33 and 35, respectively. This breaks the circuit to coil I3 and phase winding 89. Main winding 9| remains in the circuit so that operation of the motor continues until the main circuit is broken or until, upon the passage of deleteriouslyhigh current, disc 6| is heated suiciently to snap to a position of opposite curvature, breaking the circuit. The` circuit to coil I3 and to phase winding 89 is kept open by coil |I, while the motor operates, but if the motor is shut off for any reason bar I9 assumes its Figs. 1-3 position by its gravity bias. Upon subsequently closing the circuit the cycle is repeated.

Fig. '7 illustrates many of the important advantages obtained with the present cutout. It is a graphic representation of the operation of a specio 1/2 horsepower motor on line voltages of 85 volts, 115 volts and 135 volts. It is known that line voltages are often not constant and that wide fluctuations, as extensive as between 85 and 135 volts, are not unknown.

Curve 91 depicts the change in the phase voltage of this 1/2 horsepower motor, upon starting, with both the phase and main windings carrying current and with a line voltage of v. The phase voltage increases as indicated with` increase in the speed of the motor. Curve 99 represents the phase voltage increase with increasing speed for a line voltage of volts, while curve IUI illustrates the increase in phase voltage of this motor with a line voltage of volts.

The previously known remotely located cut-outs were as stated above, set to operate either at a specific phase voltage or within a narrow range. Sucha range is indicated by lines |03 and |05 on the graph. Following these lines, it will be noted that the speed of the motor at which the phase winding is cut out varies greatly, dependent upon the existing line voltage, when cutouts are employed of the old type indicated. For example, if the cutout is set toA operate at a phase voltage of volts it will be noted that the cutout will operate, when the line voltage is 135 volts, at a motor speed of approximately 900 R. P. M. When the line voltage is 115 volts such a cutout will not operate until the motor has reached a speed of about 1260 R. P. M., while if therline voltage is only 85 volts the cutout will not operate until the motor speed has reached approximately 1680 `R. P. M. Such a variation in operating characteristics is highly undesirable and may even result in stopping the rotor when the cutout operates at an unduly low motor speed.

The dotted lines |01, |09 and depict the motor speeds at which the herein disclosed cutout will operate for three different settings of adjusting screw 31. It will be noted that not only may the phase voltage at which the cutout operates be easily varied by the simple adjustment of screw 31, but more important, for a given adjustment the motor speed at which the cutout operates is approximately the same even though the line voltage is varied between 85 and 135 volts.

The present cutout therefore provides improved operating characteristics and makes possible the adjustment o f the cutout to operate at a desired motor speed, irrespective of the line voltage.

Curves II3, II5 and I|1 illustrate the phase current for line voltages between 85 and 135 volts for different motor speeds. Lines H9, |2I and |23 illustrate the phase voltage for varying line voltages between 85 and 135 volts, when the phase circuit is open.

An alternate construction for the E-shaped supporting member and the bar are illustrated in Fig. 8. In this instance the E-shaped member.

' |33 constructed on an angle so that when end |35 is in contact with the top of arm |29, end |31 is out of contact with the end of arm |25, and vice versa. An adjusting screw 31 is provided as before. Bar I3I may be constructed of a plurality of laminations.

It will be understood that the compensating coil I3 is constructed so as to be weaker than the main coil I I, so that the latter will overpower the former at the desired motor speed.

In some instances, it is desirable to open the phase winding at a lower motor speed when the line voltage is high. For example, such a control reduces the maximum voltage to which the condenser 95 is subjected and hence reduces the cost of said condenser. Such a modification of the line-voltage-speed curves, as compared with the curves m1, me and In in Fig. 7,15 attained by/ strengthening the coil I 3 in Fig'. Z with respect /y the'coll II. This change slants said curves upwardly toward the left, instead of'having them.

go approximately straight upwardly as in Fig. 7.

In similar fashion, by strengthening the coil I I in Fig. 2 as compared with the coil I3 in said Fig. 2, from the relative values first described above, the curves III'I, |08, III in Fig. '7 can be moved clockwise, thus causing the starting winding to be opened at a higher speedv (and higher voltage across the condenser) at the higher lline voltage. y

The strengthening of coils II and I3 involves a factory adjustment.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achievedv and Y other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An electrical cutout for a motor having a starting phase winding and a running winding connected in parallel, comprising a rst and a second coil energized from a supply line and connected in parallel relatively to each other and said motor windings, an armature iniluenced by both of'said first and second coils, the influence of the iirst coil tending to move the armature to a nrst position and the influence of the second coil vending to move it to a second position, means of predetermined force biasing the armature to said first position. a cutout switch which when closed feeds said rst coil and said starting phase winding, said armature cooperating with said switch to open the switch when the amature moves from its position as biased by the first coil, the influence of the second coil on the movement of the armature under starting conditions of the motor being initially less than the iniiuence of the rst coil plus said aiding means, and said influence of the second coil under running conditions on the motor being greater than that of said nrst coil plus the aiding means.

2. An electrical cutout for a motor having a starting phase winding and a running winding connected in parallel, comprising a iirst and a second coil energized from a supply line and connected in parallel relatively to each other and said motor windings. an armature influenced by both of said first and second coils, the innuence I y. A 2,431,025

of the rst coil tending to move the armature to a rst positionK and the iniluence of the second coil tending to move it to a second position, means of predetermined force biasing the armature to said rst position,`a cutout switch which when closed feeds said iirst coil and said iirst starting phase winding, said armature cooperating with said switch to open the switch when the armature moves from its position as biased by the rst coil, the inuence of the second coil on the movement of the armature under starting conditions of the motor being initially less than the iniiuence of the first coil plus said aiding means, and said influence of the lsecond coil under running conditions on the motor being greater than that of said iirst coil plus the aiding means, and an adjustable magnetic gap means between at least one of said coils and the armature adapted to vary the relative influences of said coils.

3. A cutout for the starting winding of a motor having a starting winding and a running ywinding, comprising a switch adapted to be connected in series with said starting winding across a power line, a rst electromagnet which when energized tends to bias said switch to closed position, a second electromagnet which when energized tends to bias said switch to open position, said first electromagnet being connected in series with said switch whereby it is deenergized upon opening of said switch, said second electromagnet being adapted to be connected in parallel with said starting winding so that its bias on said switch is substantially proportional to the voltage drop across said starting winding, said switch being normally closed when said electromagnets are deenergized.

LEWIS w. BUELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,921,127 Hutt Aug. 8, 1933 2,235,537 Schaefer Mar. 18, 1941 384,323 Mallett June 12, 1888 1,606,164 Garvin Nov. 9, 1926 1,938,405 -Tamsitt Dec. 5, 1933 2,021,199 Pearce Nov. 19, 1935 2.314.239 Ogden et al. 1---,--- Mar. 16. 1943 2,081,618 Dunn May 25, 1937 

